Abstract: A method of staging a move group of applications of a network is provided and includes the step of developing a reference base of applications via monitoring traffic flow between devices of the network on which applications are executed or accessing information about such applications. The method further includes the step of classifying each such selected application as a member of one of the classification sub-sets with regard to applications of the reference application base. Additionally, the method includes the step of accessing information about the classification sub-sets of those respective applications executed on each of a target croup of devices to thereby form an application classification glossary associated with the device.

Abstract: There is provided a method for providing pricing information about a potential migration of a network computing task. The method includes the step of providing a provider availability set, identifying a price qualified set for each cloud service provider, and displaying the information about each cloud service provider and its pricing via a user interface. The price qualified set includes each cloud service provider: (a) whose price for performing the task compiles with a price acceptability criteria or (b) that has a respective price proposal associated therewith reflecting a price for engaging the cloud service provider to perform the task in lieu of the task being performed by the network.

Abstract: There is provided a method for gathering traffic analytics data about a communication network that includes applying a heuristic that focuses on specific attributes of the communications relationships between the system assets of a network.

Abstract: There is provided a method a method for evaluating the system assets of a network that includes the steps of identifying system assets of the network and applying a heuristic that focuses on specific attributes of the communications relationships between the system assets of a network.

Abstract: There is provided a method for generating network optimizing information including the steps of identifying system devices that are comprised in a network, collecting metrics from the identified system devices, including collecting at least one metric relating to the operation, status, capability, limitations, expandability, scalability, or performance of the system devices, assessing the collected metrics according to a predetermined assessment protocol, generating a roster of metrics of interest, such metrics of interest being a group of the collected metrics that meet a selection criteria and not including other collected metrics that do not meet the selection criteria, and presenting each of the metrics of interest in a format suitable for a network operator to corrective actions with regard to the identified non-compliant metrics or to capitalize on the identified optimization opportunities with respect to the network.